Winner of the National Book Award A New York Times Bestseller "The queer romance we’ve been waiting for.”—Ms. Magazine Seventeen-year-old Lily Hu can't remember exactly when the feeling took root—that desire to look, to move closer, to touch. Whenever it started growing, it definitely bloomed the moment she and Kathleen Miller walked under the flashing neon sign of a lesbian bar called the Telegraph Club. Suddenly everything seemed possible. But America in 1954 is not a safe place for two girls to fall in love, especially not in Chinatown. Red-Scare paranoia threatens everyone, including Chinese Americans like Lily. With deportation looming over her father—despite his hard-won citizenship—Lily and Kath risk everything to let their love see the light of day. (Cover image may vary.)
Last Night at the Telegraph Club Series
This series unfolds against the backdrop of 1950s America, deeply rooted in the vibrant heart of San Francisco's Chinatown. It follows the burgeoning romance between two young women as they navigate societal prejudices and the intense political paranoia of the Red Scare. Facing the constant threat of deportation and societal judgment, the protagonists risk everything to keep their forbidden love alive. Their story is a powerful exploration of identity, courage, and the pursuit of love in a time of profound uncertainty.


Recommended Reading Order
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- 2'Beautifully rendered and instantly captivating. Malinda Lo writes queer desire like no other.' DIVA MAGAZINE 'Lo writes tenderly about the first buds of teenage desire amid a downtown hipster at scene.' DAILY MAIL 'Poignant, vivid and so beautifully written. I adored it.' LAURA KAY A Scatter of Light is a companion novel to the National Book Awards winner and New York Times bestseller Last Night at the Telegraph Club, and is about how the threads of family, inspiration, art, and identity are woven across generations. Aria Tang West thought she'd be spending one last summer on Martha's Vineyard with her friends before starting MIT in the fall, where she intends to study astronomy, like her late grandfather. But after topless photos of her are posted online, she's abruptly uninvited from her friends' summer homes. Aria's parents, a writer and opera singer with plans of their own, send Aria to stay with her artist grandmother, Joan West, in Northern California. Although Aria has never been attracted to girls before, she finds herself drawn to Joan's gardener, Steph Nichols, an aspiring musician a few years older than Aria. The only problem? Steph isn't single; she lives with her girlfriend, Lisa. But the chemistry between Aria and Steph seems undeniable, and this will be a summer that will turn her world upside down.